Title has it down pretty much. I'm looking for some new dog food for my dog. The current one isn't hurting him or anything, but my veterinarian says there are better options, so I thought, why not. I exercise with my dog for Tennis, he helped me get a lot of quickness (not speed) in my game. Changing directions is easier because of him, and I thought, I should get him some good food.

I'm currently feeding him dry dog food, which he doesn't seem to mind all that much. I do give him a good treat of a hard boiled egg (after peeling) along with some bones of course.

So, what's a good dog food to give him?

I want something of quality to give him that doesn't completely drain my wallet out either.

Cindysphinx

07-12-2010, 05:48 AM

What does your vet recommend?

We feed Iams, with pureed pumpkin and sweet potatoes (on advice of vet). I also mix in some grated cheddar cheese, because he hates the vegetables.

ollinger

07-12-2010, 06:00 AM

As dogs in their undomesticated state are predators, what is the sense in giving them vegetables? And since adult dogs are usually lactose intolerant, why give them cheese? (Adult dogs will eat dairy, but it is not generally recommended.)

Cindysphinx

07-12-2010, 06:54 AM

As dogs in their undomesticated state are predators, what is the sense in giving them vegetables? And since adult dogs are usually lactose intolerant, why give them cheese? (Adult dogs will eat dairy, but it is not generally recommended.)

Vet recommended the vegetables for additional fiber. Dog was seriously constipated; the vegetable suggestion has resolved the problem. I am pleased we did not need to start the dog on medication.

The cheese is my idea. Otherwise, dog will not eat the vegetables. I don't think an ounce of cheese will do any harm, and given that it seems to be working, I think my hunch was correct.

It has been recommended to us by professionals (The Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue Society and veterinarians). My wife used to buy Science Diet (at some outrageous price). They all said this is much better (and cheaper).

Our Great Dane came with a few bags of it. My wife is nuts about this stuff so she talked to them. According to them and her research, Kirkland is actually a much better quality product than Science Diet (and half the price).

jswinf

07-12-2010, 12:35 PM

I get my mutt Costco food, too, and it seems fine, but he'll eat anything. If your dog plays tennis maybe he'd prefer a new racket.

GetBetterer

07-12-2010, 01:06 PM

I'm okay with the Costco food too, but my veterinarian says there are better options. That's just why I'm wondering what you guys get and all to see if it's any better.

ronalditop

07-12-2010, 01:18 PM

As dogs in their undomesticated state are predators, what is the sense in giving them vegetables? And since adult dogs are usually lactose intolerant, why give them cheese? (Adult dogs will eat dairy, but it is not generally recommended.)

Vet recommended the vegetables for additional fiber. Dog was seriously constipated; the vegetable suggestion has resolved the problem. I am pleased we did not need to start the dog on medication.

The cheese is my idea. Otherwise, dog will not eat the vegetables. I don't think an ounce of cheese will do any harm, and given that it seems to be working, I think my hunch was correct.

Weird. My dog completely loves vegetables. When my mom is cooking she stays in the kitchen all the time waiting for her to give her something or for anything to fall on the ground. She especially loves onions, potato and broccoli.

scotus

07-12-2010, 01:25 PM

As dogs in their undomesticated state are predators, what is the sense in giving them vegetables? And since adult dogs are usually lactose intolerant, why give them cheese? (Adult dogs will eat dairy, but it is not generally recommended.)

Dogs in their undomesticated state are not merely meat-eating predators.

They also scavenge and eat just about anything to fill up their stomachs.

moshi2

07-12-2010, 04:29 PM

I use Science Diet. That's the recommended brand from the vet. I've pretty much been using it since my dog was a puppy. It's been 4 yrs. I've switch to the healthy weight version only for winter season because she doesn't get walked often, so I need help to maintain her weight.

My dog will eat anything & everything. I think if people come to my house and see how my dog reacts when she heard something fell from the dining table/counter top, they will think I never feed the dog. She's hungry all the time.

undertakeress

07-13-2010, 09:02 PM

We feed our dog Blue Buffalo, recommended by a friend and a vet - she doesn't eat as much and is fuller...but she does get gassy!

PCXL-Fan

07-13-2010, 11:23 PM

If you really really want to optimize your dogs health no holds barred, it'd be better to feed your dog whole unprocessed meats, grains & vegetables. Instead of Iam's or other processed dog food filled with preservatives, feed them human grade foods. Despite what the vets say about the major pet food brands its never of the quality of fresh foods, regardless of the vitamins that the companies add to them.

Then again I could see why many would go that route. Its a pet, not yourself or a child, and optimal health at the cost of huge time and expense isn't the issue for many owners, and in the end it might be easier to convince yourself that Iam's and whatnot is just as good as human grade whole foods, which would save on the time, effort and money involved in preparing/feeding your dog unprocessed foods.

The reason they add the vitamins to the dog food is the processing of the food strips the foodstuff of its nutiriotnal content. But it never is of the quality the original fresh food had.

woodrow1029

07-14-2010, 06:11 AM

We feed our dogs "Taste of the Wild." It's rated very highly, and one of our dogs is a cocker spaniel and they have a history of food skin allergies. Taste of the Wild is great for dogs that may have allergies. It's also "all life stages."

Check out www.dogfoodanalysis.com (http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com).

TheJRK

07-14-2010, 07:29 AM

I started feeding my dogs this http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Sojos-Grain-Free-Dog-Food-Mix/199003.aspx

You basically rehydrate the food and then add raw meat. My dogs have really sensitive stomachs and since they started eating this food, they haven't thrown-up once.

This is also supposed to be really good. http://www.evopet.com/products/default.asp?id=1485

TourTenor

07-14-2010, 08:52 AM

I think Fedace recommends IAMs with special ingredients!

cucio

07-14-2010, 09:00 AM

You definitely need to read every post by Fedace here about dog food, there is a lot of knowledge to be gained from it.

Cindysphinx

07-14-2010, 09:16 AM

If you really really want to optimize your dogs health no holds barred, it'd be better to feed your dog whole unprocessed meats, grains & vegetables. Instead of Iam's or other processed dog food filled with preservatives, feed them human grade foods. Despite what the vets say about the major pet food brands its never of the quality of fresh foods, regardless of the vitamins that the companies add to them.

Yep, you're right. I love my dog, but not enough to cook for him like he's a person. Not gonna happen.

I'd sell my house in a heartbeat to raise money to save my child from dying.

I would not do that for my dog. Sorry, Oliver. That's just the way it is.

Rex

07-14-2010, 09:27 AM

I did a lot of research on different types of all natural dog foods for my dog at dogfoodanalysis.com.

I personally feed my dog Wellness Super5Mix Small Breed.
Dogs are natural carnivores, so they don't need all those fillers like most brands of dog food you find at target/walmart/kmart (dont buy dog food from here). You want to look at the labels to find out how much protein is in the dog food. Typical house dogs need about 22-24% of protein in their dog food and working dogs need more.

Petco actually started a all natural dog food section which is nice.

I've tried Halo(www.halopets.com), Premium Edge (www.premiumedgepetfood.com), and Wellness. I ended up at wellness for my two dogs because they didn't like the others too much.

Cruzer

07-14-2010, 09:59 AM

One of our dogs eats Natural Balance Ultra Premium and the other eats Canidae Chicken & Rice. Both are supplemented with Glyco-Flex, Ester C, Hills Prescription Diet t/d Original Bites, and Show Stopper (a coat enhancer).
The base food is what both get fed by their breeders we got them and we have never changed.
There are several good quality foods available. It is mostly a case of reading the ingredients and deciding which is best combination for your dog.

jswinf

07-14-2010, 10:04 AM

Some of you guys' dogs eat better than I do. Woof?

Sublime

07-14-2010, 10:08 AM

I'm okay with the Costco food too, but my veterinarian says there are better options. That's just why I'm wondering what you guys get and all to see if it's any better.

Does your vet by any chance sell this "better" dog food? :)

The costco dog food doesn't have fillers, contains good amounts of glucosamine (which is important if you have a large breed). Its right up there with most of the premium ($50-$100 a bag) dog foods at way less.

Rex

07-14-2010, 12:18 PM

Some of you guys' dogs eat better than I do. Woof?

my dog eats better than I do too. make's me sad.

Does your vet by any chance sell this "better" dog food? :)

The costco dog food doesn't have fillers, contains good amounts of glucosamine (which is important if you have a large breed). Its right up there with most of the premium ($50-$100 a bag) dog foods at way less.

It is a 3 star dog food. I think they sell in a pretty large size bag at costco.
I've read that dog food can go stale and lose their vitamins and nutrients over time. I usually try to only get enough to last my dog for 1 to 1 1/2 months, then go out and buy a new bag (a little more expensive).

Some good information here if you do decide to go for the large bag of dog food.

The costco dog food doesn't have fillers, contains good amounts of glucosamine (which is important if you have a large breed). Its right up there with most of the premium ($50-$100 a bag) dog foods at way less.

He is a large breed dog (60-65 pounds right now including fur) that I play a lot with.

Rex:
Costco dog food isn't bad.
http://tinyurl.com/6mcpra

Mind not using tinyurl? ^^

Rex

07-14-2010, 12:32 PM

Sublime:

She didn't say. She just said that there are better options.

He is a large breed dog (60-65 pounds right now including fur) that I play a lot with.

We feed our dogs "Taste of the Wild." It's rated very highly, and one of our dogs is a cocker spaniel and they have a history of food skin allergies. Taste of the Wild is great for dogs that may have allergies. It's also "all life stages."

Check out www.dogfoodanalysis.com (http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com).

I feed my dogs Taste of the Wild too. We rotate it with Canidae All Life Stages That dogfood analysis website is a good one.

We also give our dogs apples, carrots, green beans, applesauce and any veggies they'll eat. I think a little variety is good for dogs.

markypoo

07-21-2010, 10:45 AM

mine go out with me on runs or walks or up hills a minimum of 4 times a day....costco has chicken jerky that dogs seem to love and vets say is good for them....i use innova dry.....some times i steam chicken breast to put in it....

woodrow1029

07-21-2010, 11:14 AM

I feed my dogs Taste of the Wild too. We rotate it with Canidae All Life Stages That dogfood analysis website is a good one.

We also give our dogs apples, carrots, green beans, applesauce and any veggies they'll eat. I think a little variety is good for dogs.
We used Canidae (the green bag) when we got our first dog, but then we heard from 2 different stores that Canidae changed their formula and for some reason cocker spaniels were having trouble digesting it properly, so we changed to TOTW. That was in about Dec. 2008.